How importing works
Most modern recipe websites embed structured data called JSON-LD (a Schema.org standard) directly in their HTML. Cookbo reads this automatically — title, ingredients, steps, times, and image — with no site-specific code needed. That's why thousands of sites just work out of the box.
When JSON-LD is absent or incomplete, Cookbo falls back to reading the page's HTML directly. It knows the specific layouts used by popular WordPress recipe plugins (WP Recipe Maker, Tasty Recipes, NYT Cooking, and more). If a site doesn't use any recognised format, Cookbo will still save the title and image as a starting point you can fill in manually.
WordPress Recipe Plugins
The engines behind most food blogs
The majority of independent food blogs run on WordPress with a dedicated recipe plugin. These all publish JSON-LD, so they work reliably.
| Plugin | Notable sites | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
WP Recipe Maker (WPRM)
Most widely used recipe plugin. Publishes full JSON-LD plus HTML with named ingredient groups.
|
RecipeTin Eats, Budget Bytes, Minimalist Baker, Pinch of Yum |
✓ Works |
|
Tasty Recipes (WP Tasty)
Publishes JSON-LD with HowToStep and HowToSection instructions. HTML fallback also supported.
|
Half Baked Harvest, Cookie and Kate, Mexican Made Meatless |
✓ Works |
|
Create by Mediavine
Full Schema.org JSON-LD output.
|
The Pioneer Woman, Spicy Southern Kitchen |
✓ Works |
|
Feast Plugin
Publishes standard JSON-LD recipe schema.
|
Various food blogs |
✓ Works |
|
EasyRecipe / EasyRecipe Plus
Older plugin, uses Microdata (itemprop) instead of JSON-LD.
|
Older food blogs |
~ Partial |
Major Recipe Sites
The big destinations
Large food media publishers and recipe aggregators — most use structured data for SEO purposes.
| Site | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|
AllRecipes |
Full JSON-LD with flat ingredient list and numbered steps. |
✓ Works |
Food Network |
JSON-LD present on recipe pages. |
✓ Works |
Serious Eats |
Full Schema.org JSON-LD. |
✓ Works |
Bon Appétit |
JSON-LD present; most content is free. |
✓ Works |
Epicurious |
Full JSON-LD. |
✓ Works |
Simply Recipes |
JSON-LD, typically WPRM-powered. |
✓ Works |
BBC Good Food |
Schema.org JSON-LD. |
✓ Works |
NYT Cooking |
Grouped ingredient sections and nested step structure fully supported via HTML fallback. Requires free account to view recipes. |
✓ Works |
Tasty (BuzzFeed) |
JSON-LD present on recipe pages. |
✓ Works |
Delish |
JSON-LD present. |
✓ Works |
Food52 |
JSON-LD present, though ingredient formatting can vary. |
~ Partial |
Yummly |
Recipe pages load content via JavaScript — static HTML fetch doesn't include recipe data. |
✕ Not yet |
Social & Video Platforms
Short-form recipe content
Most platforms don't embed structured recipe data — but Instagram posts and reels now import directly from the caption.
| Platform | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Instagram
Imports recipe title, ingredients, steps, and post image from the caption. Works best when the caption lists ingredients and steps clearly — either as inline bullets (e.g. ■ or •) or with section headers like "Ingredients:" and "Instructions:".
|
Posts and Reels supported. Share directly from the Instagram app using the Share Sheet. |
✓ Works |
TikTok |
Recipes are embedded in video content or free-form captions with no structured data. |
✕ Not yet |
YouTube |
Recipes sometimes in video descriptions but no machine-readable structure. |
✕ Not yet |
Pinterest |
Pins link to the original recipe source — import from that source URL directly instead. |
~ Partial |
Recipe Apps & Paywalled Content
Apps and subscription content
Content locked behind apps or paywalls generally can't be imported — Cookbo only reads publicly accessible web pages.
| Source | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|
Whisk |
App-only content, no public recipe URLs. |
✕ Not yet |
Paprika / AnyList |
Recipes stored in-app with no public URLs. |
✕ Not yet |
NYT Cooking (paywalled) |
Free recipes import fine. Subscriber-only recipes require being logged in on your device's browser — use the Share Sheet from Safari after logging in. |
~ Partial |
Milk Street |
Most recipes are paywalled. Free preview pages import title and image only. |
~ Partial |
Site not working?
If a recipe site you use doesn't import correctly, let us know. Most issues are quick to fix — open a GitHub issue with the URL and we'll take a look.
Open a GitHub Issue